University of Virginia Library

I.
His Travels thorowFrance, Italie,
and on the Sea coasts of Europe, Africa,

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and Asia:
His entertaynment and exploits
in the Emperours warres against the Turke:
his subtile Stratagems, valorous Combats, Applause,
advancement, Honour.

IN his youth,

when France and Netherlands had taught him to ride
a Horse, and use his Armes; with such rudiments of Warre as his
tender yeeres in this Martiall Schoole could attayne unto; he was
desirous to see the World, and trie his fortune against the Turke.
Opportunitie casting him into the companie of foure French Gallants
well attended, fayning to him they were devoted that way; over-perswaded
him in the Low Countries, to goe with them into France:
with such ill weather as winter affoordeth, in the darke night they
arrived in the broad shallow inlet of S. Valereys in Piccardie. A worse
winter, and darker night accompanied him, namely his French Gallants;
which, liking well his apparell, and thinking him better
furnished with money then themselves, plotted with the Master of
the ship, who conveyed them and his Trunks ashoare; and left him
aboord till the Boat could returne, which was not till next day towards
evening. The reason he alleaged was, the Sea was so high he
could come no sooner: And that his pretended French Lord was gone
to Amiens, where they would stay his comming. Which treacherous
villanie, when divers other Souldiers Passengers had understood,
they had like to have slaine the Master: and had they knowne how,
would have runne away with the ship.
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One of the Souldiers, called Currianver,

compassionating his
injurie, assured him this great Lord Depreau, was onely the sonne of
a poore Lawyer of Mortaine in Bas Brittaigne, and his attendants
Cursel, La Nelie, and Monferat, three younger Brothers, as arrant
cheaters as himselfe; and if he would accompanie him, he would
bring him to their friends, and in the interim supplie his wants. Thus
traveing by Diep, Codobeck, Honfleu, Pount Rodemer in Normandie, they
came to Caen in Bas Normande. Where both the Noble Currianver, and
many of his friends kindly welcommed him, and brought them to
Mortaine, where hee found their friends, as hee had promised him,
but to small purpose. Yet the bruit occasioned the Ladie Columber,
the Baron Larshan, the Lord Shasge, and divers other honourable
persons to supplie his wants, and to give him kind entertainment
with them, to recreate himselfe as long as he would. But such
pleasures little suted with his poore estate: and his restlesse spirit
could never find content to receive such noble favours as he could
neither deserve, nor requite. Whereupon, wandring from Port to
Port, to find some Man of Warre, he spent that he had, and in a
Forrest, neere dead with griefe, a rich Farmer found him by a faire
fountaine under a tree. This kind Pesant relieved him againe to his
content, to follow his intent. Not long after, as he passed through a
great Grove of trees betwixt Pounterson and Dinan in Brittaigne, it was
his chance to meet Cursell, more miserable then himselfe. Without
any word they both drew, and in a short time Cursell fell to the
ground: where, from an old ruinated Towne the Inhabitants seeing
them, were satisfied, when they heard Cursell confesse what formerly
had passed; and that in the dividing what they had stolne from him,
they fell by the eares among themselves: but for his part hee excused
himselfe to be innocent, as well of the one as of the other. In regard
of his hurt, Smith was glad to bee so rid, directing his course to an
honourable Lord, the Earle of Ployer: who (during the Warres in
France) with his two brethren had beene brought up in England, by
whom he was better refurnished then ever. When they had shewed
him Saint Malo, Mount Saint Michael, Lambal, Saint Brieux, Lanion,
and their owne faire Castle of Tunkadeck, Guigan, and divers other
places in Brittaigne, and their Cornwall; taking his leave he tooke his
way to Renes, the Brettons chiefe Citie; and so to Nantes, Poytiers,
Rochell, and Bordeaux. The rumour of the strength of Bayon in Biskay
caused him to see it: And from thence tooke his way from Leskar in
Bearn, and Pow in the Kingdome of Navarre to Tolouse, Vizers, and
Carcasson in Gascoigne; Narbonne, Montpellier, Nysmes, and Poundegale,
in Langedock, and through the Countrey of Avinion by Arles, to
Marselles in Provence.
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There embarking himselfe for Italie, the ship was inforced to
Toulon; and putting againe to Sea, ill weather so grew upon them,
they anchored close aboord the shoare, under the little Ile of Saint
Marie against Nice in Savoy. Here the inhumane Provincials with a
rabble of Pilgrims of divers Nations going to Rome, hourely cursed
him not onely for a Hugonot, but said, his Nation were all Pirats;
rayling on his dread Soveraigne Queene Elizabeth, and that they
never should have faire weather so long as he was aboord them.
There disputations grew to that passion, that they threw him overboord:
yet God brought him into that little Ile, where were no
Inhabitants. The next morning hee espied two ships more ride by

them, put in by the storme; which fetched him aboord, well refreshed
him, and so kindly used him, that hee was well contented to
trie the rest of his fortunes with them. After he had related unto them
this former discourse: what for pitie and for love of the Honourable
Earle of Ployer, this Noble Britton his neighbour, Captaine La Roshe
of Saint Malo, regarded and entertayned him. With the next faire
wind they sayled along by the coast of Corsica, and Sardinia, and
crossing the Gulfe of Tunis, passed by Cape Bona, to the Ile of Lam-
padosa; leaving the coast of Barbarie till they came at Cape Rosato,
and so along by the African shoare for Alexandria in Egypt. There
having delivered their fraught, they want to Scanderone; and after
keeping their course by Cyprus, and the coast of Asia; sayling by
Rhodes, the Archipelagus, Candia, and the coast of Grœcia, and the Ile
Cephalonia; they lay to and againe a few dayes, betwixt the Ile of
Corfu, and the Cape of Otranto in the Kingdome of Naples, in the
entrance of the Adriaticke Sea, till they mette with an Argosie of Venice,
which it seemes, the Captaine desired to speake with: whose untoward
answer was such as slue them a man. Whereupon presently
the Britton gave them his broad side, then his stearne, and his other
broad side also; and continued his chase Peeces till hee gave so many
broad sides one after another, that the Argosies Sayles and tackling
were so torne that shee stood to her defence, and made shot for shot.
Twice in one houre and halfe the Brittons boorded her, yet they
cleered them selves. But clapping her aboord againe, the Argosie fired
him, with much danger to them both, but was presently quenched.
This rather augmen- ∥ ted the Brettons rage, then abated his courage;
and having re-accommodated himselfe againe, he shot her so betweene
wind and water, that shee was ready to sinke: then they
yeelded. The Brettons lost fifteene men, shee twentie, besides divers
hurt: the rest went to worke on all hands; some to stop the leakes,
others to guard the prisoners, which were chayned; the rest to rifle
her. The Silkes, Velvets, Cloth of gold, and Tissue; Peasters,
Chickines, and Sultanies, they unloaded in foure and twentie houres
in wonderfull store: whereof having sufficient; and tyred with toyle,
they cast her off with all her companie, with as much good Merchandize
as would have fraughted such another Britton.
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To repaire his defects he stood for the coast of Calabria; but
hearing there were sixe or seven Galleys at Mesina, he departed
thence for Malta: but the winde comming faire, hee kept his course
along the coast of the Kingdome of Sicilia, by Sardinia and Corsica, till
hee came to the Road of Antibo in Piemont, where he set Smith on

shoare, with five hundred Chickenes, and a little Box which he had,
worth neere as much more. Here he embarqued himselfe for Legorne,
being glad to have such an oportunitie and meanes to better his
experience, by the view of Italie: and having passed Tuscanie,
Veterbo and many other Cities, as Rome, and Saint Peters Patrimonie,
he went downe the River Tyber, to Civita Vecha: where hee embarqued
himselfe to satisfie his eye with the faire Citie of Naples, and
her Kingdomes Nobilitie, returning by Capua, Rome, and Siena, he
passed by that admired Citie of Florence, the Cities and Countries of
Bolonia, Ferrara, Mantua, Padua, and Venice: whose Gulfe he passed
from Malamaco, and the Adriaticke Sea for Ragouza, spending sometime
to see the barren broken Coast of Albania and Dalmatia, to Capo
de Istria, travelling the Mayne of poore Sclavonia, by Tubliano, till
hee came to Gratz in Stiria, the Seat of Ferdinando an Arch-duke of
Austric, (now Emperour of Almaine) where hee met an English and an
Irish Jesuite: who acquainted him with many brave Gentlemen of
good qualitie: especially with the Lord Ebersbaught, to whom hee
gave experiments of such conclusions, as he projected to undertake:
hee preferred him to Baron Kizell, Generall of the Artillery: and he
to a worthy Colonell, the Earle of Meldritch, with whom going to
Vienna in Austria, hee made him Captaine of two hundred and fiftie
Souldiers, under whose Regiments how he spent his time, this insuing
Discourse will declare, as it is written in a Booke intituled, The
Warres of Transilvania, Wallachi, and Moldavia, written by Francisco
Ferneza a Learned Italian, Secretarie to Sigismundus Bathor the Prince.



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